Resilient driving connection



G. M. EATON. RESILIENT DRIVING CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6. 1917- 1,321,512.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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' 'tions which register spring connectors for GEORGE M. EATON, or PITTSBURGH, run

I ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPAN NSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE Y, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RESILIENT DRIVING CONNECTION.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

Application filed January 6, 1917. Serial No. 140,929.

character which shall be assembled and dismantled with facility, be strong and rigid in construction and'be manufactured at a minimum cost.

Another object of my invention is to providea resilient gear wheel which shall be composed of a hub and a rim member, with spring connectors disposed between said members for resiliently joining the same, and means associated with the rim member for preventing lateral displacement of the spring connectors relatively to the hub and rim members.

'More specifically, my invention embodies a resilient gear wheel having a hub member provided with laterally-spaced radial projections extending therefrom and semicylindrical pockets formed between the projections, A rim' member surrounds the hub member and is provided with-radial projecwith the hub. projections. In the semi-cylindrical pockets are disposed spring connectors for oiningthe andlugs which are hub and rim members disposed on the rim member adjacent to the rim projections preventing lateral displacement of the latter relatively to the'hub and rim members.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a partial elevational view of an assembled gear wheel constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the gear wheel illustrated in Fig. 1; Figs. 3

and 4: are side elevational and sectional views of the rim member of the gear illustrated in Fig. 1; Figs. vational and sectional views of the hub member of the gear illustrated in Fig. 1; and

of which the followserves to resiliently connect the and 11 which to engagegrooves in the 5 and 6 are side ele- Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of one of the spring Seats.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a gear wheel 1 embodies a hub member 2, a rim member 3, and spring connectors at for resiliently joining the hub and rim members. The hub member 2 ally-spaced radial projections 5' and substantially semi-cylindrical outwardly-facing pockets 6 which are formed between the various-pairs of radial projections, the axis of the curved wall of each pocket lying in the periphery of the hub and parallel to the axis of the hub and rim, or, in other words, in a plane that includes the axis of the hub and rim and the center of the pocket. The

rim member 3 is provided with gear teeth 7 on the outside periphery thereof and with inward radial projections 8 which are disposed between, and interfit and register with, the radial projections 5 of the hub vmember 2, both sets of projections being the lugs 9 pro ect into the semi-cylindrical pockets 6 of the hub member-for a purpose to be described later.

Each of the spring connectors 4, which hub and the rib members, embodies two Spring seats 10 are similar in construction and a helical spring 12 which is tween the spring seats 10 and 11, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Each of the spring'seats is provided with a partial cylindrical surface 13 of the same radius as the pockets 6 formed in the hub member 2, grooves 1 and 15 which are respectively adapted to receive a lug 9 and a radial edge 81 of a radial projection 8 of the rim member 3, and a stem 16 which extends within the spring 12, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

By constructing a gear wheel with substantially semi-cylindrical pockets between the radial projections of the hub member, the cost of the gear wheel is greatly reduced by reason of the simplicity of the machining operation in forming the Spring pockets.

is provided with laterdisposed becompressed so that they may be inserted in the pockets 6 between the radial pro ectlons The pockets 6 are formed by a drilling oper- 1 ation and it is possible to drill a pocket in each of two hub members simultaneously'by placing-two hub members tangent to each other and=drilling the pockets with thetangent point as a eenter, 'whereby'the single I pocket between each succeeding pair of hub projections has a continuously curved surface, thecenter of curvature of which is 1n the periphery of the hub. v

I11 assembling the gear Wheel, the rim- 5, with the lugs '9 and the projections 8 respectively disposed within the grooves 14 and 15 of the spring seats 10 and 11. The

: lugs 9 and the radial projections 8, which rim member having lugs'located are disposed-within the grooves 14 and 15 of the spring'seats, prevent any lateral displacement of the sprmg connectors 4 relatively to the hub and rim members.

In operating the gear wheel 1,'a driving force is applied to the rim member 3 or the hub member 2 and the spring 12 compressed until the stems 16 of the spring seats 10 and 11 of. the spring connectors engage each other and then the gear Wheel functions as a solid gear wheel.

Various modifications in the driving connection set forth may be-made withln the spirit and scope of my invention, and I desire that only such limitations .shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims. p

I claim as my invention:

1, ,In a driving connection, the combination with a hub and a rim member having interfitting radially-extending parts, said adjacent to the radially-extending parts, of connectors for joining the hub and rim members, said connectors having grooves for receiving said lugs and end portionsof said -rim-projectmg parts for restrammg the connectors hub and rim members.

having interfitting parts spaced angularly about the axis, thereof, said rim members having inwardly projecting lugs located ad acent'to said rim parts, of resilient connectors for joining said members, said connectors having grooves to receive said rim lugs for restraining the connectors from lateral displacement relatively to the hub and rim members. 7

3. In a resilent driving connection, the combination with a hub member and a rim member surrounding the hub member, said members having inter-fitting radially-extendradial from lateral displacement relatively to the j member ing parts spaced angularly about the axis thereof, said rim member having lugs located adjacent to the radially extending parts, of spring connectors for joining the hub and rim members, said connectors comprising devices having grooves for receiving said lugs and the rim projecting parts for restraining the connectors from lateral displacement. relatively to the hub and rim members.

4. In a resilient driving connection, the combination with a hub member having uradial projections extending therefrom and a single substantially semi cylindrical pocket formed between each pair of projections, of a rim member having inward radial projections which register with the hub projections, and spring connectors disposed within the pockets between the hub and rim projections and adapted to resiliently connect the hub and rim'members.

5. In..a resilient driving connection, the combination with a hub member having radial projections extending therefrom and forming a single substantially semi-cylindrical pocket between successive radial hub projections, of a rim member having radial pro ections which reglster with the hub pro- 'ections and s rin connectors for resiliently joining said hub and rim members,

said rim member having lugs projecting from the rim member for restraining the spring connectors from lateral displacement relatively to the rim member.

6. In a resilient driving connection, the combination with a hub member having radial projections and a rim member having projections which register with said hub projections, of spring connectors disposed between said projections for resili- 'ently joining the hub and rim members, said rim member having lugs projecting therefrom and extending from the bases of the rim projections along the inner faces of the rim for restraining the spring connectors from lateral movement relatively to the hub and rimmembers.

7. In a driving connection, the combination with a hub member, of a rim member surrounding the same and supported thereon, said members having interfitting radial projections and pockets therebetween, the rim member also having lugs thereon extending from the bases of the rim projections along the inner face of the rim, and devices in said pockets for operatively connecting said members, said devices comprising means cooperating with said lugs to restrain the displacement of said devices from said pockets.

8. In a resilient driving connection, the combination with a hub member, of a rim mounted thereon, said members having interfitting angularly-spaced radial projections and pockets between said projections, tegral lugs thereon extending from the bases of said rim projections along the inner face of the rim, and spring connectors in said pockets for operatively connecting said members, said connectors comprising spring seats having recesses therein fitting said rim projections and other recesses fitting edge portions of said rim projections, whereby the displacement ofi said connectors from said pockets is restrained.

9. In a driving connection, the combination with a hub member, of a rim member surrounding the same, one of said members having pocket-s therein opening opposite the other member, .each pocket having a semicylindrical Wallthe axis of which lies in a plane including the axis of said members and the center of the pocket, and means in said pockets for operatively connecting said members.

10. In a resilient driving connection, the combination of a hub 1nember',a rim member surrounding the same, one of saidmembers having semi cylindrical pockets therein facing the other member,- and means in said members comprising springs and spring seats, the spring seats in each pocket engaging curved portions of the pocket Walls which have the same axis of curvature.

the 'rim member also having incylindrical periphery ofthe hub, means in the pockets r ing means from pockets for operatlvely connecting said 11. In a driving connection, the combination of a hub member, a run member surrounding the same, said hub member havingpockets therein opening in the periphery thereof opposite the rim member, each pocket being limited by a semi-cylindrical wall having a center disposed in the periphery of the hub parallel to the axis of the hub and rim, and devices in said pockets for operatively connecting said members.

12. In a resilient drivin connection, the combination of a hub mem er, a rim member supported thereon, having pockets therein opening in the periphery thereof opposed to the rim member. the walls of the pockets being semiand having centers lying in the for resiliently connecting said members, said means comprising springs and spring seats, the spring seats in each pocket having curved portions engaging curved portions of the pocket and means restraining the displacement ofsaid connectsaid pockets.

In testimony subscribed my name this 27th day of Dec, 1916.

GEORGE M. EATON.

said hub member whereof, I have hereunto t 

